Robert Milton UWCSEA 1976-1978 Chairman, President and CEO ACE Aviation Holdings Inc. and Chairman,

Robert Milton, Chairman, President and CEO of ACE Aviation Holdings Inc. (ACE), and Chairman of Air Canada, knew from an early age that his career would involve running an .

During his two years at UWCSEA, Robert spent a lot of his spare time at the Singapore airport, watching planes take off and land. After completing his high school education at UWCSEA, he moved to the U.S. to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management. He and another alumnus from UWCSEA became founding partners of a cargo airline transporting small packages. Five years later, after selling the company’s operations to a large passenger airline, Robert applied his experience to providing commercial aviation consulting to other small as well as British Aerospace. In 1992 he joined Air Canada, and in 1996 was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

In 1998 Robert received the prestigious ‘Top 40 under 40’ award which recognises Canadians who have achieved significant levels of success in leadership and innovation before age 40.

Within days of being promoted to the position of President and CEO of Air Canada in 1999, the airline was faced with a hostile takeover bid and Robert led the team which defeated it. During his tenure as CEO, he led the corporation through other challenges including the bursting of the high-tech bubble, the aftermath of 9/11, and SARS, and in 2003, he led Air Canada’s successful restructuring.

Robert was appointed in 2004 to his current position of Chairman, President and CEO of ACE, the parent holding company of Air Canada, Air Canada and several other legal entities, and a year later he was elected to serve also as Chair of the International Air Transport Association’s Board of Governors.

Robert is married to another former student of UWCSEA, and they have 2 children. He continues to live the UWC values, giving back in many ways, including supporting Dreams Take Flight, which each year provides hundreds of physically, mentally and socially challenged children with a day to remember at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, accompanied by airline employee volunteers.